1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a camera to a vehicle, and in particular it relates to a structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system for a vehicle by which a plurality of cameras are attached to a body frame of the vehicle in order to stereoscopically capture images of the area surrounding the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A technology has been developed, which captures the images of an area surrounding a vehicle while the vehicle is running and when it stops, and the technology utilizes the image information for traveling Support, etc. As one of the representative technologies, a stereoscopic camera technology is known which stereoscopically recognizes the surrounding images on the basis of images captured by two cameras and grasps the positional relationship in front of and behind an object.
In such a structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system, two cameras are attached to a vehicle body. One camera is attached on each end of a horizontally long lateral stay in order to prevent die optical axes of both cameras from deviating due to a distortion of a body of the vehicle, and only the middle part of the lateral stay is fixed in the body (For example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-88623). That is, since the optical axes of the respective cameras are maintained so as to be constant by the lateral stay, and both the end portions of the lateral stay are not fixed on the vehicle, no bending stress is applied onto the lateral stay, resulting from distortion, etc., of the vehicle body.
However, since, with the above-described attaching structure, two cameras, which are heavy devices, are supported on the vehicle only at the middle part of the lateral stay, it is difficult to suppress looseness and shaking of the cameras.
In particular, when there is no way other than disposing both the cameras with a spacing secured therebetween in order to secure focal distances of the cameras (in this case, it is necessary to lengthen the lateral stay) and when cameras are installed at the front side of a vehicle subjected to large vibrations, there is a concern that looseness and shaking of the cameras are further increased.